Hashim Amla's career-best 97 not out was not enough for South Africa to secure a series victory as Australia squeezed with spin and then attacked the opposition's slower bowlers to claim a 2-1 win in the T20I decider at Newlands.

The result means that the same puzzle that has faced South Africa all summer remains unsolved. Their middle-order is still missing some reliability and they have yet to decide who to anoint as their fifth bowler.

Australia, on the other hand, have answered some of their own questions. They found an opening combination that worked, their captain contributed a vital innings, and they were successful against spin on a surface that South Africa had asked to resemble a sub-continent strip as far as possible.

While run-scoring had stuttered during the women's match that preceded this one, Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla scotched any notions of sluggish track with fluency from the outset. In AB de Villiers' absence, both seemed eager to impress for the opening spot in India and took turns taking the initiative.

De Kock opened with two finesse-laced flicks off Nathan Coulter-Nile, whose line was initially too straight. Amla responded with impressive footwork to send Shane Watson to opposite ends of the ground. South Africa raced to 47 after four overs and were threatening to run away with it when de Kock threw his bat at a full delivery and John Hastings took a smart catch at third man.

That only seemed to spur Amla on even more. He unleashed a powerful pull to Coulter-Nile's next ball and then got away with a top edge that carried for six to force another bowling change. James Faulkner was the fourth bowler used in the Powerplay and Amla drilled him for back-to-back boundaries to take South Africa to the second highest total in the six-over period at Newlands, 68 for 1.

Adam Zampa came on immediately after the fielding restrictions were lifted and bowled the first boundary-free over the innings. That meant Faf du Plessis had not got in on the action at all and, in his haste to join in, he misread a Watson slower ball and spooned a catch to short mid-wicket.

While Amla bided his time, Rilee Rossouw was kept quiet by Zampa and Glenn Maxwell - and Zampa should have had him caught on the mid-wicket boundary when he was on three only for Maxwell to spill the catch. Amla reached his fifty off 31 balls and seemed content to rotate the strike during the squeeze.

In the five overs that followed the Powerplay, Australia conceded just 25 runs to put the onus back on Amla to get things going. He took on Zampa and Maxwell, finding a boundary in each of their next overs. When Rossouw tried to do the same off Coulter-Nile, he failed, gifting a catch to Steve Smith at long-off.

South Africa promoted David Miller above JP Duminy and his quick-fire 30 took the pressure off Amla. It also denied him a century. Amla entered the final over on 84, hit a six off the first ball and then took a single to put Miller on strike. Miller ran two and then sent a full toss to cover but did not run to leave Amla off strike. Amla duly struck the last ball of the innings for six but had to settle for 97 not out.

In the end, South Africa had needed a little more than just those three runs. The Sydney team-mates, Usman Khawaja and Shane Watson, got Australia off to a solid start before Steve Smith and David Warner guided them to the finish.

Australia's openers took on the short ball which Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada and Kyle Abbott were all generous in serving up. Although Australia's Powerplay was not as explosive as South Africa's - they scored 51 runs in the six overs - it set them up. Australia changed tack when the fielding restrictions were lifted and targeted the spin instead, with good results and a touch of luck.

Watson dispatched Imran Tahir's second ball over mid-wicket but, when he tried to hit him down the ground, Watson should have been caught. David Miller at long-off spilled the chance. Watson was not deterred by that and sent the last ball of that over into the stands.

The plan continued into Tahir's next over, when Watson tried to go straight down the ground again. He should have been caught again off the first ball but, between Miller at long-off du Plessis at cover, they could not decide who should take it. He was caught off the next ball, however, playing the same shot, and Tahir struck again in the same over when Khawaja joined in on the strategy. He tried a sweep but got as far as Amla at deep square-leg.

South Africa worked their way back into contention but instead of turn to a strike bowler, du Plessis brought Duminy on. Australia paid him some respect at first - Smith instead turned his attention to Tahir, hitting him for the straightest six of the match, before taking on Duminy as well.

Steyn was brought back on to try and break the partnership but Smith and Warner were seeing the ball too well. Warner was particularly severe on Wiese, whose pace off the ball approach did not work, and with 47 needed from the last six overs, the sting was taken out of the contest.

Neither Smith nor Warner hung around to finish but they'd done enough. Maxwell whittled the requirements down to 12 off 12 and Mitchell Marsh hit the winning runs with four balls to spare.

I'd say India versus Oz or NZ in the final at this point with India favourites by a nose being at home.
The good thing about our chances would be the familiarity of many like Watson, Smith, Warner, Maxy, Finch etc with conditions in India via the IPL. WE are in with a decent chance. If Starc was in then we'd be line ball with India. His swinging Yorkers at 150 kph make a difference !
Regardless of the past, this team is on the rise in all formats.

subhasish
on March 12, 2016, 8:59 GMT

I think Australia powerful bating big advantage yes other teams also good batsman's but Australian bating at the moment very strong they got hitters like Maxwell Watson warner marsh Faulkner and also good anchors like smith Usman khawaja finch I think Australia should chase if they won the toss their is ok not great I back Australia to win the t20 world cup becoz Australia record in India is very good they won 1987 world cup in India 2006 champions trophy in India

Phil
on March 11, 2016, 21:42 GMT

For us to win the world cup, we need to choose our best 11 players on form, then worry about the order after that. A bit like NZ are doing, and SA will do if they have Amla, QDK and ABD at the top.Our best 6 batsmen are: Khawaja, Watson, Finch, Warner, Smith, Maxwell. Khawaja and Warner are the first 2 batsman picked as they our best batsman in all formats at the moment. The other 5 are: Faulkner, Marsh, Neville, Zampa, Coulter-Nile/Hastings.That will give us up to 7 bowling options (Faulkner, Marsh, Zampa, Coulter + Watson / Maxwell / Smith to share the remaining 4 overs).At the moment we have teams with 8-9 bowling option, don't think we need that many., 2 fast bowlers more than enough in India.

Ash
on March 11, 2016, 12:22 GMT

australias best 6 T20 batsmen on form need to be chosen, then work out the order.

the top 6 are: khawaja, watson, finch, warner, smith, maxwell.

Then the other 5: marsh, faulkner, neville, zampa, coulter-nile

Allan
on March 11, 2016, 6:11 GMT

Finch certainly has struggled this year. He didn't have a great BBL. In contrast, Khawaja dominated every match he played in the BBL, and was awesome in the powerplay, a big part of the suggestion he should definitely be opening, not coming in further down.Khawaja and Watson certainly seems the best option. Watson's bowling may be a thing that gives him extra chance of getting picked, but if they are playing Mitch Marsh and Maxwell in the top 6 they don't really need any more bowling options, unless they are bowling well enough to drop a bowler and pick an extra bat.

JOHN
on March 10, 2016, 17:00 GMT

Australia had this game right through the match. The quick fire slog 62/1 in 6 overs by SA was expected and the only way to go. To bad they rested AB, so did we against India and SA to a certain extent. This is a trial by error, but contrary to obvious, We usually put pressure on the oppo by turning up heat when our boys play freely or "slogging" in your words, fair cause that's what T20 is freaking slow fest. Our boys are test and trad ODI primed players, adapting to T20, "is a work in progress" and already more effective than most, we are not the best but up there. SA are always concerned by result. "Steyn", is burnt force and will be helping the ball to the fence as quick as our boys do. Medi bowlers will have to change up and holdup the ball and rip it in short of length, Quicks too will have too pull-up on pace a bit and were in business. Tahir is nothing, Zampa is heeps better and controlled.

Adinic
on March 10, 2016, 15:59 GMT

I don't really understand why Maxwell was backing away to every delivery. A huge fan of his and don't want him improvising every delivery. It was fine since the game was already in the bag. I just hope he doesn't use that tactic too much when he comes in earlier. Doing it towards the back end is fine.
Also, to those saying that that the "back away look away" six he hit was just a slog, watch the shot again. His head did go towards the other side but he was aiming to cut that ball towards the point/cover boundary all along. Same goes for the other cuts he played.

Adinic
on March 10, 2016, 15:49 GMT

SA probably used this decider to test a few things and weren't all that concerned about the result. Terrific innings by Amla. If Roussow played well, this would have been a much closer game for sure.
Watson threw it away against Tahir. He kept on playing the same shot again and again. It might mean that he wasn't confident against Tahir to play the other shots except for the slog sweep. Warner just going about his business as he has been doing for the past few matches consistently. Still think that its a wrong move to move Warner down the order. He can be at his best as an opener and in the form he's in, he'll simply get off to a flier every time he stays in for a while.
Smith, even though he got runs, looked uncomfortable half the time hew was on the crease. He tried to slog from the get go and was lucky not to get out in single figures against the spinners.

Bhumit
on March 10, 2016, 13:13 GMT

It was disappointing to see the way Watson got out!! Why would you play such shot where you already got drooped twice! Was he in some kind of urgency to get out?

Bhumit
on March 10, 2016, 13:07 GMT

THis victory has given Austrlia a false confidence!!! Anyway i am aussie cricket fan but i dont know why my mind is not getting good vibes!!! I think it will be first round exit for auss because of their poor bowling attack. I hope i am wrong.

Peter
on March 12, 2016, 13:49 GMT

I'd say India versus Oz or NZ in the final at this point with India favourites by a nose being at home.
The good thing about our chances would be the familiarity of many like Watson, Smith, Warner, Maxy, Finch etc with conditions in India via the IPL. WE are in with a decent chance. If Starc was in then we'd be line ball with India. His swinging Yorkers at 150 kph make a difference !
Regardless of the past, this team is on the rise in all formats.

subhasish
on March 12, 2016, 8:59 GMT

I think Australia powerful bating big advantage yes other teams also good batsman's but Australian bating at the moment very strong they got hitters like Maxwell Watson warner marsh Faulkner and also good anchors like smith Usman khawaja finch I think Australia should chase if they won the toss their is ok not great I back Australia to win the t20 world cup becoz Australia record in India is very good they won 1987 world cup in India 2006 champions trophy in India

Phil
on March 11, 2016, 21:42 GMT

For us to win the world cup, we need to choose our best 11 players on form, then worry about the order after that. A bit like NZ are doing, and SA will do if they have Amla, QDK and ABD at the top.Our best 6 batsmen are: Khawaja, Watson, Finch, Warner, Smith, Maxwell. Khawaja and Warner are the first 2 batsman picked as they our best batsman in all formats at the moment. The other 5 are: Faulkner, Marsh, Neville, Zampa, Coulter-Nile/Hastings.That will give us up to 7 bowling options (Faulkner, Marsh, Zampa, Coulter + Watson / Maxwell / Smith to share the remaining 4 overs).At the moment we have teams with 8-9 bowling option, don't think we need that many., 2 fast bowlers more than enough in India.

Ash
on March 11, 2016, 12:22 GMT

australias best 6 T20 batsmen on form need to be chosen, then work out the order.

the top 6 are: khawaja, watson, finch, warner, smith, maxwell.

Then the other 5: marsh, faulkner, neville, zampa, coulter-nile

Allan
on March 11, 2016, 6:11 GMT

Finch certainly has struggled this year. He didn't have a great BBL. In contrast, Khawaja dominated every match he played in the BBL, and was awesome in the powerplay, a big part of the suggestion he should definitely be opening, not coming in further down.Khawaja and Watson certainly seems the best option. Watson's bowling may be a thing that gives him extra chance of getting picked, but if they are playing Mitch Marsh and Maxwell in the top 6 they don't really need any more bowling options, unless they are bowling well enough to drop a bowler and pick an extra bat.

JOHN
on March 10, 2016, 17:00 GMT

Australia had this game right through the match. The quick fire slog 62/1 in 6 overs by SA was expected and the only way to go. To bad they rested AB, so did we against India and SA to a certain extent. This is a trial by error, but contrary to obvious, We usually put pressure on the oppo by turning up heat when our boys play freely or "slogging" in your words, fair cause that's what T20 is freaking slow fest. Our boys are test and trad ODI primed players, adapting to T20, "is a work in progress" and already more effective than most, we are not the best but up there. SA are always concerned by result. "Steyn", is burnt force and will be helping the ball to the fence as quick as our boys do. Medi bowlers will have to change up and holdup the ball and rip it in short of length, Quicks too will have too pull-up on pace a bit and were in business. Tahir is nothing, Zampa is heeps better and controlled.

Adinic
on March 10, 2016, 15:59 GMT

I don't really understand why Maxwell was backing away to every delivery. A huge fan of his and don't want him improvising every delivery. It was fine since the game was already in the bag. I just hope he doesn't use that tactic too much when he comes in earlier. Doing it towards the back end is fine.
Also, to those saying that that the "back away look away" six he hit was just a slog, watch the shot again. His head did go towards the other side but he was aiming to cut that ball towards the point/cover boundary all along. Same goes for the other cuts he played.

Adinic
on March 10, 2016, 15:49 GMT

SA probably used this decider to test a few things and weren't all that concerned about the result. Terrific innings by Amla. If Roussow played well, this would have been a much closer game for sure.
Watson threw it away against Tahir. He kept on playing the same shot again and again. It might mean that he wasn't confident against Tahir to play the other shots except for the slog sweep. Warner just going about his business as he has been doing for the past few matches consistently. Still think that its a wrong move to move Warner down the order. He can be at his best as an opener and in the form he's in, he'll simply get off to a flier every time he stays in for a while.
Smith, even though he got runs, looked uncomfortable half the time hew was on the crease. He tried to slog from the get go and was lucky not to get out in single figures against the spinners.

Bhumit
on March 10, 2016, 13:13 GMT

It was disappointing to see the way Watson got out!! Why would you play such shot where you already got drooped twice! Was he in some kind of urgency to get out?

Bhumit
on March 10, 2016, 13:07 GMT

THis victory has given Austrlia a false confidence!!! Anyway i am aussie cricket fan but i dont know why my mind is not getting good vibes!!! I think it will be first round exit for auss because of their poor bowling attack. I hope i am wrong.

Yep, all a bit of an overreaction...... It was just one game. Loved @trueoracle comment after the first T20...,That was the worst Australian team ever. "LLLLLLLW" So AUS are doomed to lose the series, he said....Doh ! Gotta live the SC's...Good at trolling, but not a lot happening upstairs ! Keep the humour coming mate.....

Russell
on March 10, 2016, 11:20 GMT

Australia coming into a nice little bit of form...their batting is clicking into place.
Amla is quality. Nice to see a proper player prospering in this format. Not so great seeing Maxwell's slogs slicing off the bat over point for 6. Heartbreak for the bowler. SA will be stronger with AB and Morris in their side.

Jose
on March 10, 2016, 11:19 GMT

@Dunger.Bob.

As long as an elephant size overconfidence does not get into the heads of the India players, India stand a good chance. But, they, and we fans here, should never forget, that it is after all T-20! Anything can happen, especially, in the knock-outs!

The boy at home, perhaps, couldn't think of any other animal bigger than an elephant; no disrespect to Kangaroo! He keeps me on my toes, with his occasional sharp barbs. My response was simple though: "It depends on the measuring stick. If you use a foot-rule, Warner''s bat-thickness is huge. If you use a country-mile, an elephant size is minuscule."

For want of a quick repartee, or out of love for me, he left me alone in my room without further 'confrontation', went to his, and switched on the TV to watch a repeat of an old episode of F*R*I*E* N*D*S'! That is also part of his bouquet of his tastes. That's his age, after all!

nuraiz
on March 10, 2016, 11:19 GMT

AUS is good. Although they keep saying they don't care about T20 and all that but if the lady luck smiles on them, they will be back in T20 business with a bang.

Martin De Jager
on March 10, 2016, 10:25 GMT

Duminy keeps getting chances to fulfil the horrendous quota requirement. I am not suggesting he is a quota player, but at this moment, just as with any other player, his form is not good enough to warrant a spot. Every player goes through a dip in form from time to time. I would be inclined to swap him for Phangiso and play with two spinners on the subcontinent. Wiese and Morris both has to play, It's imperative SA has batting reserves lower down in case the top order doesn't come off. Hash, QDK, Fav, AB, Miller, Wiese, Morris, Abbott, Steyn, Phangiso, Tahir. In this case you have an extra bowler to rotate and ensure none of the bowlers goes are too expensive.

rob
on March 10, 2016, 10:25 GMT

Jose: I'm not sure how big the gap is between Oz & SA but right at the moment it's India who have the elephant sized gap on the rest of the field. Your boys are the deserved favourites with fans, media and bookies just through sheer weight of recent performance. Then there's the little matter of playing at home. All in all, a very daunting task for the likes of Oz, SA, Eng and the Kiwi's. .. I must compliment your grandson on his excellent taste though. I'm assuming he has a penchant for kangaroo? If not, then my bad and boo hiss :)

JOHN
on March 10, 2016, 10:17 GMT

Proteaboy, your giving up,Amla was a class act, notice our bowlers bit brain -dead who kept ball up so the sixes came easy. Faulkner should have changed it up with his stock balls, anyway Aust chased well, and look to attack spin we notice. Watto and Khawja could have played on, but that's beast of the game.
We need to capitalize on these situations and win more convincingly. It was

Varun
on March 10, 2016, 10:15 GMT

every body hails the performance of batting for both sides. But, the only question is, Can they gonna perform well against quality spin attack on testing conditions, where, 150-160 runs are far too much. As far as Miller concerned, played beautifully in all the 3 T20's against Aussies. But, its very interesting to see his tactics against quality spinning attacks (he's always tatters against them). It's also same for Maxwell, Watson, Finch, n Khwaja (didn't see him against them). Weak links for SA is starting from 4th down (either persist with JPD, Behardien). I dont think, Behardien is a T20 player and lower down d order (wiese n morris), if they both play, then their 6-8 overs cost SA around 70-80 runs on these conditions (suicidal for SA), and their contribution with bat is around 30-40 runs (if they got chance for bat). Otherwise, Rabbada n Steyn are good.

David
on March 10, 2016, 10:02 GMT

@ philipkaye Keep on watching the slugfest PK - just get your eyes checked first. Yes Maxwells shot was ugly - he played 2 similar shots in Adelaide against Pakistan in the World Cup which you can google along with this shot. But he was never trying to pull it - he was stepping away and opening the bat face to hit it over point. May have edged it somewhat but it was always intended to go somewhere square on the offside. Not a pull - not a hoick - more a cutoick !

Prem
on March 10, 2016, 10:02 GMT

It is wrong of Faf to stick to no. 3. ABD is the best choice for no 3. Faf should be 4 or 5.

Jose
on March 10, 2016, 9:07 GMT

I was pushed into a corner, by my cricket playing collegian grandson for writing the following.

"No one can write off either team (OZ or SA) in the WC, but OZ has the edge, Whether the gap is wafer thin, or Warner's bat-thick, is something, one can debate."

He says, "What nonsense? An elephant can walk through the gap."

No need to say, which team he is a fanatic fan of!

Zakithi Hephzibah Khumalo
on March 10, 2016, 9:05 GMT

SA team for 1st match of world t20: Amla, De Cock, AB, Faf,Miller, Duminy,Wiese/Morris,Wiese/Abbott/Morris,Rabada,Phangiso,Tahir.

Tony
on March 10, 2016, 8:49 GMT

@PROTEAFIRE - Agree with you Rossouw needs more game time instead of being playing here and there, he is talented just needs to prove it. Anyone else think AB should bat at 3 with De Kock and Amla opening ? So Amla, De Kock, AB, Faf, Miller, Rossouw, Duminy/Wiese, Morris, Rabada, Abbott/Steyn, Tahir

Ross
on March 10, 2016, 8:38 GMT

Khawaja averaged 175 in BBL, hard to see how he doesn't deserve to be picked, what I am more interested in to see how zampa goes as he bowled very well last night, the opening partnership of Watson and khawaj and zampas bowling were the 2 highlights from an Aussie point of view not to mention our courageous captain coming back to form

Terry
on March 10, 2016, 8:35 GMT

Some good practice for both sides but as shown by ABDeV sitting out and Australia giving everyone a couple of games the results don't mean much.
Nice for Australia to have some selection dilemmas as would be happy to have Finch or Khawaja. Interesting that Marsh didn't bowl as its always handy to have good options than having to try to sneak that 5th bowler's overs amongst some part timers. Having players like him, Watson & Maxwell who can bowl or not depending on the conditions is useful.
India are still the overwhelming favourites of course as they seem to have all the bases covered. My only concern would be to see them if Kohli and Sharma fail together.
Especially if the cricket God's throw that in in a semi final or final.

mnoswo9332778
on March 10, 2016, 8:26 GMT

I've said it before and I'll say it again. What is our current obsession with Steyn? He's older, he's slower. He shouldn't try and be the bowler he was in the past. He wants to play on until he's 38? Cool, then do a "Pollock/McGrath." Forget trying to blitz everyone with lack of pace - start bowling that nagging/irritating line & length ball afetr that made Pollock & McGrath so successful.

Kiran
on March 10, 2016, 8:23 GMT

After looking at qualifiers and track record of ICC events, flat pitches will be in offering for WT20 which is good news for batting heavy teams like AUS,SA, IND,WI & NZ. I think AUS,IND, SA & WI will be semifinalist. After that it depends on day/player, any one out of 4 can win.Aus is bit weak in their bowling department especially in SC. They should back their strength and try to chase in most of the games. They HAVE TOO trust Zampa and back him all the way. Wristy Khawaja will be handfool in SC conditions. Best of luck to SA & AUS.

mnoswo9332778
on March 10, 2016, 8:20 GMT

What were SA thinking? Nudging the ball around for singles for 10 overs!! Are you serious? This is T20 cricket not tests or ODI's - it's hit and giggle, boys!! I appreciate the wicket wasn't the easiest and Australia did bowl well during the middle period but it didn't even look like our boys were trying. You have 20 overs and 10 wickets. No good going into the shed with so many wickets in hand. We ain't gonna win any tournaments like this.

rob
on March 10, 2016, 7:21 GMT

The Indians have been playing out of the skins for a while now. As strange as it sounds, that could be good for us. Form only hangs around so long before it gets bored and takes off for a while. The longer their run of form continues, the more likely it is to suddenly go walkabout and leave them stranded. .. As an example of the sort of impact this potentially has, think what it would mean if say, Kohli and/or Rohit suddenly got the yips just as the finals of the t20wc rolled around. India's job just got a whole lot harder. They expect to win this time and that can do weird things to a team. .. pure speculation of course and I certainly wouldn't be betting the house on it, but it's not impossible either. .. I actually like Australia's build up. We're a bit of an under-dog for once, and that's different for a start. Our players seem to be switching into T20 mode as well. In Oz they were thinking about Test cricket. Now they have their heads in the game. That's all good.

Gueye
on March 10, 2016, 7:18 GMT

The squirrel was the highlight of the match for me.

As regards SA, for me their strongest XI on paper is QdK; Amla; Faf; ABdV; Rossouw; Miller; Morris; Abbott; Rabada; Steyn; Tahir. On Indian pitches, maybe swap out Steyn or Abbott for Phangiso; or put in Duminy for Morris, and hope that he somehow remembers how 'to cricket'.

Behardien can go as team mascot or baggage handler or whatever, but he shouldn't be anywhere near the starting line up.

John
on March 10, 2016, 7:01 GMT

This Aussie team actually looks pretty good with Warner coming down the order. Most of the players have plenty T20 experience in India, no way anyone can write this team off.

John
on March 10, 2016, 6:59 GMT

Roussow's innings showed some cracks in the South African side which ought to be corrected before the World T20s start. Since he was (on the day at least) incapable of hitting anything, he should immediately have fallen on his sword (wicket) and got out. He is batting too high, and should not be in the team this time. Amla should now be a certainty. Duminy has done wonders in the past, but sentimentality should never cloud an issue: OUT! His batting and bowling are torn to shreds. You can never tell what putting a player to bat too high might do, but Miller seems ripe for 4. Skipper du Plessis must react swiftly to events on the field: he should have ordered Roussow to sacrifice his wicket earlier. Another 20 runs would have seen his team home. No more nice-guy, Captain. Morris must not be left out of the team again; he gives the impression of upping his act according to circumstances, certainly more than Wiese. How easy it is to run a team from the computer! Good Luck, Proteas!

Mike
on March 10, 2016, 6:42 GMT

Slslider......Aussies will play spin much better than your crop in this format..... anyway I like the new look you a lot, fair play to you for showing your humourous side !

annoyed
on March 10, 2016, 6:41 GMT

The cheerleaders really are trying everything to try and keep the underwhelming Khawaja in the side aren't they?

The tournament has already started and I haven't seen any instances of the ball swinging

bishwajeet
on March 10, 2016, 6:27 GMT

@srikanthanethiraj absolutely agree with ur assessment ,india needs 2 make such pitches where manouvering the ball into gaps z more important rather than all out hitting on a flat track ,pitches which offer grip to the spinners ..seeing the qualifiers matches of the 1st round i think bcci has got it ryt since pitches r slow and offering grip to the spinners ,the pace bowlers r getting hit while the spinners r controlling the game ,power hitting z not our forte anymore as it used to be during the days of sehwag,dhoni,yuvraj when all were at their best , the opposition teams seem to have an endless list of power hitters especially australia,SA,england

Ross
on March 10, 2016, 6:26 GMT

All the experienced Aussie IPL players say not to expect spinning pitches. India has hard, batsman's paradises.That makes sense. India needs roads so it can maximize its strengths…Kohli and Sharma. Going on that line you can expect swing in the first 5 overs in second innings and our best players of swing bowling are khawaja and smith as we saw in the NZ test series. So Khawaja has to open for me with watson and smith and warner to follow.

SL slider.... If the pitches turing the T20 world cup spin, dont worry about Australia's chances, did you see South Africa and India bat just recently on turning pitches, hahaha.

David
on March 10, 2016, 6:22 GMT

When you're playing a decider and you leave out AB Devilliers, there can be no clearer message being sent that the administrators don't give a hoot about the results of these matches. There's nothing worse for the game than matches being played where we're outright told that the results don't mean anything.

As for Australia, I think they've found their lineup here, Smith to me is the question mark, Warner at 4 really makes the middle order look deadly, Faulkner surely should come in ahead of Marsh. Nevil is a fine choice as keeper though they'll be hoping he's not needed as a batsman in this format.

Seriously though I think I'd prefer Khawaja at 3 and Finch to open with Watson. I was a bit surprised by Smith being made captain, to me Finch is the first player picked, and Khawaja's ahead of Smith too.

Srikanthan
on March 10, 2016, 6:07 GMT

Looking at the power hitters in the sides of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, India should never make flat pitches for T20 world cup. Comparing to them, India do not have many hard hitting batsman except Rohit who is not consistent too. We should not forget what South Africa did to us at the recently concluded bilateral series, particularly in the 5th ODI. We had better prepare 150 runs pitches which should be helpful for our spinners rather than run feast. Pls. publish.

Srikanthan
on March 10, 2016, 6:04 GMT

Looking at the power hitters in the sides of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, India should never make flat pitches for T20 world cup. Comparing to them, India do not have many hard hitting batsman except Rohit who is not consistent too. We should not forget what South Africa did to us at the recently concluded bilateral series, particularly in the 5th ODI. We had better prepare 150 runs pitches which should be helpful for our spinners rather than run feast. Pls. publish.

Krunal
on March 10, 2016, 5:58 GMT

philipkaye: it is not that easy my friend like other formats this game is also a crowd puller .... you have people who like test matches ( myself as well) there are people who like odi and there are people who like t20 .... so I guess there. is a demand .... other thing maxwell has always been that kind of player ... cheers

Kushal
on March 10, 2016, 5:55 GMT

Very happy that SA has provided AUS with some false confidence. We all know how AUS bat when ball spins. LOL. First round exit for AUS in this WC.

mohd.
on March 10, 2016, 5:39 GMT

Again an excellent Inning from Hashim Amla and he proved that he is a class batsman in all the formats and if he is on the song its really destructive for the opponents. South africa must make full use of such a classy and reliable batsman and must send him as opener with DeCOCK and ABD must come later on.

Luva
on March 10, 2016, 5:26 GMT

@MIXTERS You mean apart from the 952 times Australia have beaten S.A. in Australia?

Philip
on March 10, 2016, 5:23 GMT

T20 cricket just gets uglier and uglier. That mis-hit 6 over point by Maxwell when he was trying to hit the ball the other way (Iwouldnt use the word pull because that implies a proper stroke rather than his usual hoik) illustrated to me the nadir that cricket has now sunk to. I dont think I will even bother to watch the international slugfest coming up. How sad that it has all come to this,

Brendan
on March 10, 2016, 5:19 GMT

Aussies must have been ecstatic to be told to chase, good pratice for yhe best way to win in india. Foolish by SA

Bilal
on March 10, 2016, 5:18 GMT

A.Africa have to choose bowl first because australia is good in chasing big targets

Brendan
on March 10, 2016, 5:15 GMT

Whether you like it or not, that was the first choice team for the WC. Finch will be unlucky but we know what watto is like

Varun
on March 10, 2016, 5:11 GMT

Congratz Aussies for your well deserved series... good batting performance all around by both teams. The bowling unit is not up-to the mark for both the teams. As n SA's fan, i m highly surprised, that SA mgmt, keep ABD rest for the decider and at last, that was the main difference between SA's win to the decider. Surely, if he was playing, apart from Rossouw, result could have been changed. Anyways, there is no place for if and else. I think, this series is merely a practice session for both the teams ahead of WCT20. the result is ..merely matters to either teams. As far as, SA's n Aussies, performance is calculated on these conditions, is too early to say... We all know that how, SA n Aussies, crumbling down against good quality spin attack. Their main task, starts from there (INDIA) onwards, but, with the likes of best form of India's main batsman (Rohit, Dhawan, Kohli, Yuvi, MSD) n bowlers (Bumrah, Ash, Jaddu, Yuvi (as part timer)), its not an easy task, an that too in their bkyard

Sathesh Krishnan
on March 10, 2016, 5:10 GMT

SA was winning all games prior to Steyn entry. As great a test bowler he is, Steyn is average in shorter formats. SA should start with Abbott and Rabada in world t20 and Chris Morris is absolutely needed in that crucial #8 position as a batter. SA shouldnt tinker the combination too much and should go with winning combination from England series. That will help them to give a strong fight against tough teams like Ind, Aus and WI. Rilee will get better as he play more games and he is an amazing talent. Rest of the team looks okay and SA can walk the distance as long as they keep the same team like England tour.

Michael
on March 10, 2016, 5:04 GMT

And once again Australia win in South Africa. Now if only we can beat the springboks in Australia??????

Abhishek Singh
on March 10, 2016, 5:02 GMT

Australian batsman's are in form, they successfully chased 205 and now 178. any big score is not safe in today's cricket. batsman are getting technically strong day by day. if we talk about current scenario India, Australia and South Africa these three teams are strong teams in cricket world. Support your favorite team by using Keenu apps utility

rob
on March 10, 2016, 4:54 GMT

Khawaja v Finch is an interesting one. Khawaja seems capable of scoring big T20I hundreds at 1.5+ rpb. Finch has already done that, several times. Khawaja looks like he has the technique to suceed in T20 against spin in India. Once again, Finch has already done that, several times. .. It's a pity Finch can't be made into a T20 wicketkeeper. That would solve a couple of problems.

subhasish
on March 10, 2016, 4:52 GMT

Why people criticizing mitch marsh I don't understand he is in very good from his style more suited to t20 cricket he is a big hitter can bowl also yes Watson fit to bowl but Australia need mitch marsh in the 11 best 11 Watson.finch
.smith.Maxwell.mitch marsh.fulkner.navil.zampa.count nil.hesthings. Australia got 4 all-rounder's Maxwell.Watson.marsh.fulkner good bowlers don't need to change stick with this 11 only one change finch replace khawaja...i think under smith Australia can win world t20 in India I like his captaincy style he is a smart captain understand the situation well ....plz publish cricinfo

Sandy
on March 10, 2016, 4:37 GMT

This is an excellent Aussie team! Warner maxwell n marsh at 4, 5 and 6. And coulternile is very underrated. I think the Aussies are the favorites n neither india nor saf can match up to that middle order. My tip to win the WC

rob
on March 10, 2016, 4:36 GMT

@ RedDirt: Dunk has been on my mind too. He scored heavily in the BBL as an opener and even had a great shield season with 4 tons in that. He really is in form with the bat and isn't that shabby a keeper from what I've seen. If anyone has done his best to knock the door down this year it would nearly have to be him wouldn't it?

Krunal
on March 10, 2016, 4:31 GMT

so Aussies are back said so u cannot write off Aussies from WC .... India srilanka and AU's sa are my pick for semis line up....cheers

Allan
on March 10, 2016, 4:26 GMT

I can't see how you drop watson, it would have to be mitch marsh that makes way. Watson is our best performed T20 Bowler (with Starc out). He has over 130 wickets in the format and his economy rate is better than any other Australian bowler we have available. And he averages over 30 with a strike rate of nearly 140, and has hit 3 centuries, including one last month. He is a two time IPL player of the year in the country where the World Cup is being played. Why don't you rate him? Khawaja is averaging 175 in the BBL and last night he formed a fantastic pairing with watto with a left and right combination similar to what india and other countires have as their openers. Also unlike game 2 where finch and watson looked uncertain against the proteas pace attack last night both khawaja and watson looked confident and assured speically khawaja who was giving watson confidence in the process. In this case i would open with khawaja and watson against NZ

Piyush
on March 10, 2016, 4:17 GMT

the main problem for SA is that, they are struggling in middle overs, in terms of batting and bowling. We need AB one down with faf and miller to follow, that frees up opening spot for hash and de kock. Tahir can be expensive in middle overs, and thats what happened in last two games, you need steyn to stop bleeding of runs in middle overs, Use duminy as a surprise, just a spell of one over here and there and keep toggling steyn with him, Opening batting and bowling looks pretty good, death overs batting also looks good with some decent death over bowling. But the place they are struggling is middle overs.

Joash
on March 10, 2016, 4:15 GMT

Sa should just swap ab for rossouw team sorted as runs will still come in the middle overs as he can turn ones into twos

annoyed
on March 10, 2016, 4:00 GMT

@BLACKCAPSBESTINTHEWORLD, and New Zealand's spinners are even worse. At least Zampa knows how to keep an end quiet. We'll probably see Sodhi and McCullum repeatedly smashed into the stands

Rahul
on March 10, 2016, 3:42 GMT

Peteraverage I tend to agree with you, marsh didn't bowl this game and we had enough bowlers so I would put all 3 top order batsman in including Watson and Khawaja

sam
on March 10, 2016, 3:35 GMT

As some1 rightly mentioned,moving the more mature Warner ,who has developed into a more versatile all round batsman,than a mere basher-and a marked improvement playing against spin-into their mid-order has been a master stroke by Aussies. The -open-secret formula to doing well in any sort of ltd overs games in places like here in Ind-esp in shortest format-is having a 'versatile' batting lineup. By that I mean having an ideal ratio of left hand batsmen to right hand batsmen in your lineup- ideally 3/3 combo in top 6 would be perfect. This would most likely ensure that there is likely to be a left-right combo at all times in the middle in all top order p'ships. This is going to be crucial in tackling spin -which will make bulk of the bowling on these tracks-in that it won't allow say,an off spin-slow left arm combo to settle and target a particular kind of batsman.Say,a left armer to a rhb ,vice-versa.Crucial against teams like us-Ind-where a capt like Dhoni uses this tactic a lot.

sam
on March 10, 2016, 3:35 GMT

Aussie capt Smith,it seems dos'nt seem to take criticism lightly.There had been some-at times unfair-criticism aimed at him in past few t20 games.Sure, Aus had L a few of them,but there were questions about his place in the side,whether he fits into Aussies t20 scheme of things,and such. Well,he proved them all wrong in style with that little masterclass of his ,that ensured another crucial p'ship with Warner to effectively seal it for Aussies.What must be pointed out is he hit just 4 boundries in his 44 ,yet scored at such healthy s/r and had SA fielders running ragged at times. Shows that in addition to his ability to hit them big,has a complete all round game to rely upon esp on slow ,spinning pitches here in Ind.Won't be a surprise,with his mastery over spin,versatile-if un-orthodox,but mighty effective!-methods ,he ends up as 1 of leading scorers this tourney.His class @ no.3 to combine with rest of Aussie batting surrounded by more renowned 'big hitters' will be crucial to Aus.

Merv
on March 10, 2016, 3:24 GMT

@ J_WRIGHT I tend to agree - T20 is more a domestic or regional game than an International one in the same way as ODI and tests. Too much luck and chance is involved.

Craig
on March 10, 2016, 3:21 GMT

Great effort to win this warm up series after coming from behind. The boys will take a heightened confidence into the world cup. When Watson gives it away I would like to see Mitch Marsh open in limited overs

Craig
on March 10, 2016, 3:17 GMT

Smith was the difference. The way he tamed Tahir was masterful. He is one of the finest players of spin in world cricket imho.

Fictionaliser
on March 10, 2016, 3:08 GMT

Aus beating SA in SA is an age-old story. SA simply lose it against Aus but keep battering weak bowling sides like India and WI. Aus have a big mental edge over SA.

Yasein
on March 10, 2016, 3:07 GMT

@BLEED_BLUE007 Aussies have no good spinners in their side and in the past they have been known for struggling in the subcontinent. The absence of Mitchell Starc will also hurt. India are clear favourites and will probably win the world t20. And also the groups have been severly unbalanced. We have arguably 3 of the best teams in our pool (Australia, India, and maybe NZ) First game against India will really set the tone of our world t20 campaign

Srinivas
on March 10, 2016, 3:06 GMT

Sa beat India in India, India beat Aus in Aus, Aus beat Sa in Sa...interesting...looks like no home advantage in T20 Cricket.

Chetan
on March 10, 2016, 3:03 GMT

@phylthysledger if DRS is on, AU's will have trouble.

Naresh
on March 10, 2016, 2:53 GMT

india along with Aussies n sa teams to beat...anyone of these three can win wc

Saad Amjad
on March 10, 2016, 2:51 GMT

looks like s afruca dnt know who to open with!

Garry
on March 10, 2016, 2:47 GMT

We don't need Marsh if Watson is bowling so there is no reason one of the five contenders need miss out. Finch is the top rated T20 batsman and has the highest ever score, so that's like dropping Lara from tests when he was playing, stupid. But Marsh is the team pet so I doubt if the selectors are even discussing dropping their mates son.

Venkatesh Venkatesh
on March 10, 2016, 2:45 GMT

Well deserved series victory for Australia this quality is essential in limited overs game that too in shortest format . Smith marshalled his resources very well . If keep this momentum going then 20 -20 cup belongs to them very soon. Well done Smith & Co

sam
on March 10, 2016, 2:44 GMT

Wonderful job Aussis! Now go into the WC here in Ind the hot fav'its to W their maiden t20 title. They are going to be hard to beat. An undefeated run to the title looks on the cards. Having said that these teams will most likely make s/f lineup -Aus,SA,Pak,SL. SA are the Aussies closest competitors,could give Aussies a run for their money. They ,just few months back w/w us -Ind- at our home 3-0.

JOHN
on March 10, 2016, 2:37 GMT

Everyone seems in shock, in hind sight, Australia looked liked they creamed SA effortlessly, AB would have made the difference

raghav
on March 10, 2016, 2:30 GMT

Well done Aussies, SA really have a strong batting line up, but their bowlers are not looking prepared for WC which will be played on the flat Indian roads. Steyn doesn't look 100% match fit and Rabada no doubt is a skilled fast young sensation, but he needs a fully fit and strong Steyn on other side to support. Tahir in India can offer SA crucial wickets in the middle. But, overall i would put SA at no. 3 in my top list of WC contenders. Aus suddenly looking ruthless and if you look at their top order they even performed better than Indian top order in last few games. I have no hope with Dhawan to perform consistently against quality pace bowling. So, my money for this WC is on Aus followed by IND and SA. And who knows what WI will do in this T20 tournament, they can prove me totally wrong here and i am ready :)

Graham
on March 10, 2016, 2:17 GMT

Both teams experimented so a bit hard to take out who is the better T20 team. After sometime Australia is getting close to deciding what there best X1 is and I think once we get to India Finch will replace Khawaja (just similar records but one bloke with more T20 Indian experience) then we need to decide if Hazlewood gets a gig and I think I actually prefer Hastings at this stage. Should be a competetive world cup India home deck favourites, but dont discount South Africa as they beat india at home recently, the AUssies who matched SOuth Africa, West Indies who on their day can beat anyone and same goes for NZ. Not sure about the other options at this point but England and Sri Lanka are also capable on their day just not sure they have enough days.

Phil
on March 10, 2016, 2:15 GMT

Wow, I didn't expect AUS to win the series after going 1-0 down. Dangerous signs for other teams with Warner, Finch, Smith, Khawaja, Maxwell and now Watson finding form with the bat - especially their effectiveness against a quality limited overs bowler in Tahir. After India smashed us in the 3 T20I's before the NZ tour, I certainly didn't see AUS having much of a chance in India - especially without Starc & Cummins - but now I'm a lot more confident. Remember, it's the only Cricket trophy that AUS has never won, so they are very, very eager to win the WT20.

Ramana
on March 10, 2016, 2:10 GMT

Both SA and AUS seem to have their main batting motors running nicely. Their pace bowlers may not make much of an impact in India. But their batting alone can make them tough to beat. It's going to be one heck of a World Cup !

R
on March 10, 2016, 2:06 GMT

The Aussies are finally getting into their stride. Moving the more mature Warner down to 4 was a master stroke. He provides stability and is better than hit or miss Maxie at 4. They just need to find another option for the leaky hastings and I think we are good to go. That said, while i love aus to be the favourites, I think india has the perfect side for t20 with great spin and now good death bowlers in bumrah along with explosive batsmen. They're the team to beat in the tourney. AU's is shaping up well, but somehow the line up doesn't inspire confidence. Who knows they might pull a surprise a LA the ODI WC.

Izmi
on March 10, 2016, 2:04 GMT

Despite losing more than half the side due to recent retirements and injuries this young aussie cricket team captained by 26 year old Steve Smith has rallied around to beat the mighty South Africans in their own den 2-1 in their T20 cricket series in South Africa. They were riding high after defeating England recently and were expected to win theT20 series against the aussies without much fuss. I reckon it must be a big blow for their confidence before they depart for the T20 world cup. Whereas the aussies must be brimming in confidence after their magnificent series victory.All the aussie batsmen contributed before they threw away their wickets to loose strokes chasing runs.Khawaja looked very solid at the crease and played some effortless strokes and didn't have to take any risks at all while Watson and Warner looked very calm and collected and Smith played a captain's innings to top score for his side. It remains to be seen whether these two sides will make it to the world cup final

Amol
on March 10, 2016, 1:47 GMT

It's still David Wiese majorly who again proved costly in this match too...So at least SA know who to drop from this game. He doesn't have special or adaptive skills in bowling other than throwing the ball to the batsman to hit.

siddhartha
on March 10, 2016, 1:46 GMT

would like too see Smith at no 4 in slower wickets

John
on March 10, 2016, 1:46 GMT

How'd did that game work out for the oracle, anyone call the wambulance for him?

Jose
on March 10, 2016, 1:03 GMT

Lab report, from this experiment, provided re-affirmation for some truths.

1. Test calibre players can do well in T-20; perhaps not the other way round. Amla & Usman proved it, had there been still any doubt!

2. Worth trying out new hands. OZ is rightly trying out A to Z as a second spinner. And, AZ (Adam Zampa) looks the type who an be effective on Indian pitches. AZ is a better partner to Lyon. Than Maxi.

3. If the chewing gum & scotch tape which hold Watto together (as his past fitness history indicates), he is till good enough. In fact, in IPL, he had been a better opener for his team than S Marsh. Rod, the selector, I am not sure why your two boys are good(not great); but inconsistent (there lies the rub)!

4. Who cares if Smith's shots look as beautiful as those of Chanders'? He is becoming equally effective in all formats.

5. No one can write off either team in the WC, but OZ has the edge, Whether the gap is wafer thin, or Warner's bat-thick, is something, one can debate.

arunac2891625
on March 10, 2016, 1:03 GMT

Is it safe to assume that its time for duminy to pack his bags ??

jagannath
on March 10, 2016, 0:47 GMT

What a prelude to the World Cup.
India favourites?
I don't think so!

Joshua
on March 10, 2016, 0:35 GMT

This Aussie batting lineup is very very strong. Only a spin-heavy bowling attack on a spinning pitch with serious scoreboard pressure (target of 185+) can beat this team. Best of luck to India.. Only you can beat this time... and this is coming from a West Indian.. I believe WI can beat AUS too but a lot will depend especially on Gayle's batting ( and fitness) and Badree's bowling.

Joshua
on March 10, 2016, 0:35 GMT

This Aussie batting lineup is very very strong. Only a spin-heavy bowling attack on a spinning pitch with serious scoreboard pressure (target of 185+) can beat this team. Best of luck to India.. Only you can beat this time... and this is coming from a West Indian.. I believe WI can beat AUS too but a lot will depend especially on Gayle's batting ( and fitness) and Badree's bowling.

Max
on March 10, 2016, 0:18 GMT

It's a batsman's game isn't it? Man of the match Hashim Amla? Well, he played well, no doubt about it. But he scored at a run rate of 156, which was almost exactly the rate at which everyone else scored during the game - the two sides between them hit 359 runs at a rate of 152. So, in essence, Amla scored at the par rate for the game, just for longer. Now, Adam Zampa bowled his four overs for 23 runs - that is, at a rate of 95. He was the least expensive bowler in the game by a long way. If he had gone for the same rate as everyone else, then South Africa would have scored another 13 or 14 runs and would probably have won. Amla scored the most runs, sure - but Zampa had the greatest influence on the result.

Wayne
on March 10, 2016, 0:00 GMT

Not a bad series win when you consider that 5 days ago some of our international friends were arguing that Australia should playing in the World T20 qualifying tournament instead of Bangladesh. Seriously both teams used the series to experiment prior to the big show. AB De Villiers and Chris Morris are definitely in South Africa's best 11. After giving squad game time in the 1st two games, I think the Australian selectors showed their hand in game 3. Barring injury I would say that the team they played last night would be the team that will play against NZ in the 1st game of the World Cup. After watching some of the qualifying games of the World Cup, I think Australia will be up against it in those conditions. Low & slow. India & Pakistan in those conditions will be hard to beat. Win lose or draw I just want to see Australia play good aggressive and competitive cricket.

Peter
on March 9, 2016, 23:42 GMT

It's always a good tussle between these 2 teams. I wouldn't take much from either side other than they experimented a little & had a bit of a hit. For those Smith knockers, never knock a champion.

Ghalib Imtiyaz
on March 9, 2016, 23:38 GMT

Amla played really well and the others didnt push the score past 180 which could have been the winning total. South Africa's problems stems from the fact that Steyn is never 100% in deciders ...other bowlers were also below par. If you cant defend 180 then you have your work cut out. South Africa always possessed a dominant bowling attack. Congratulations to Australian T20 XI on a well deserved victory. I think both Australia and England will fancy winning the trophy in India. A full strength Aus XI should be better than Indian XI on paper.

Jonathan Keith
on March 9, 2016, 23:30 GMT

Drop Wiese he is not economical in his bowling~! Drop him drop him drop him NOW~!!!!!!!!

Eddie
on March 9, 2016, 23:29 GMT

Zampa and Watson really made a difference. Good to see smith get some form in t20s

Rohan
on March 9, 2016, 23:28 GMT

Good to see a more complete batting effort from Australia, and a good return from Zampa. Like the Maxwell/Zampa combo for India in the WT20, should go ok. Still not sold on Watson, but opener is probably where we'll get the most out of him, plus he keeps out Finch! Finally Smith gets some T20 runs too. We will need a lot more from him to challenge.

Steve
on March 9, 2016, 23:08 GMT

Well done Australia, great preparation for the World Cup.

Steve
on March 9, 2016, 22:28 GMT

Well done Australia, great preparation for the World Cup.

Dhirshan Gobind
on March 9, 2016, 22:06 GMT

Hope the T20 final is SA v AUS

Jesse
on March 9, 2016, 21:56 GMT

We've been flogging SA in SA for decades now, this result wasn't a surprise and does nothing to prove that we stand a chance in the T20 WC. Not until Australia takes the format seriously will we be a force. Personally I think T20 should stay domestic so as to not continue to take the focus away from tests.

Brendan
on March 9, 2016, 21:32 GMT

Good to see us play our best 11, chase, and win.

Kumar
on March 9, 2016, 21:17 GMT

These ozzies really like playing in south africa

sam
on March 9, 2016, 21:15 GMT

Another superb game b/w these 2 hot fav'its to W t20 WC here in Ind.In the end Aussies doing it with relative ease to clinch a fantastic 2-1 W against a top SA side-who handed out a w/w to us-Ind-thrashing us 3-0.Smith,what a way to prove critics wrong!

Arnie
on March 9, 2016, 20:58 GMT

What an insightful article.

rob
on March 9, 2016, 20:51 GMT

And the silence was deafening. Hours after the event and not a single comment yet. I'm starting to enjoy the sounds of silence these days. It usually means Australia won. .. It was good to see Khawaja and Smith get some runs and Zampa bowl well. That means the rusty bits have been polished up and we're as ready as we are going to be for the T20WC. Winning this mini-series will do the confidence some good but I think both teams were using it as practice rather than treating it as a must win series. I don't think the Aussies will be too cock-a-hoop about it and the Saffers shouldn't be too worried either. It was a handy warmup but that's about it. The main event starts very shortly and that's the one that matters. .. Anyway South Africa, thanks for having us over.

pramod
on March 9, 2016, 20:45 GMT

Well played.....Best of luck for aussie .....for wc

pramod
on March 9, 2016, 20:42 GMT

Gud game aussie....best of luck for wc in india

Ross
on March 9, 2016, 20:35 GMT

Ok so now we should have a lineup ready, Hazelwood, NCN, Zampa and the allrounders should be Faulkner, Watson and Marsh. I am not going to put Finch down in order to fit Khawaja in but watching the match today the left and right hand combo of Watto and Usman looked very good mainly because they do the same job for their big bash side. So on this basis i woudl go for Watson and Usman to open with Smith, Warner and Maxwell to make the middle order and the rest of the lineup being Marsh, Neville, Faulkner, NCN, Zampa and Hazelwood. And in that i think we have a world cup winning side with perhaps India as our biggest challenge. Bring it on.

David
on March 9, 2016, 20:33 GMT

He clearly is flying a little under the radar but I note Zampa went for only 6 an over over two four over spells in 2 matches and hence was the most economical of all bowlers. No wickets but with the prospect of more responsive turning tracks to come, his control as a relative new comer is a promising sign. I know wickets are also a major issue in T20's but his performance under high scoring conditions was pleasing.

David
on March 9, 2016, 20:33 GMT

He clearly is flying a little under the radar but I note Zampa went for only 6 an over over two four over spells in 2 matches and hence was the most economical of all bowlers. No wickets but with the prospect of more responsive turning tracks to come, his control as a relative new comer is a promising sign. I know wickets are also a major issue in T20's but his performance under high scoring conditions was pleasing.

Merv
on March 9, 2016, 20:32 GMT

Seems Australia can win at T20, SA lose another series at home and Steve Smith bats well in all formats.

Vijay
on March 9, 2016, 20:30 GMT

Warner is a better t20 player than AB but Not better than Kholi or Rohit. Rating is like that : AB<Warner<Indian batsman<Rohit< Virat. Clearly Virat is best player in all format.

Richard
on March 9, 2016, 20:27 GMT

I think having Dunk in that side instead of Nevill would improve it. We (Oz) had 7 bowlers in that team. If Mitchell Marsh is not going to bowl, he didn't in this match, then surely Dunk, Lynn, Head, even Hodge would be better suited...? Dunk, Lynn in, Nevill, Marsh out.

LloydLee
on March 9, 2016, 20:24 GMT

Ab at 4 surely after this match....1.Amla.2.Qdk.3.Faf.4.Ab.5.Jp.6.Miller.7.Wiese.8.Morris/Abbott.9.Steyn.10.Rabada.11.Tahir

Rahul
on March 9, 2016, 20:15 GMT

I think today's game has answered what our best lineup will be for the world cup. Warner at 4 is an excellent idea. Watson and Khawaja are solid at the top so start with the winning sydney thunder combination. Means we can play to our strength in batting by fielding most of our top order bats.

Room for a specialist spinner in place of Hazelwood. Perhaps Agar could shuffle in.

Paul
on March 9, 2016, 20:15 GMT

Firdose, why do you persist with this line that Hash and QdK are competing for the one spot...and in the same piece raise concerns about our middle order? The solution is simple. Open with Hash and Quinny, have AB in middle order. That's right, play all three and dispense with one or two of Rossouw, Behardien or JP. Simple.

venkat
on March 9, 2016, 20:15 GMT

To AUS: Congrats! .This team looks ready for WT20. Only change would be swapping Agar in for Hastings if the pitch on game day is a rank turner.
To SA: This game was lost in middle overs. AB is really needed at 3 or 4 and Morris should come back in place of Abbott.

venkat
on March 9, 2016, 20:15 GMT

To AUS: Congrats! .This team looks ready for WT20. Only change would be swapping Agar in for Hastings if the pitch on game day is a rank turner.
To SA: This game was lost in middle overs. AB is really needed at 3 or 4 and Morris should come back in place of Abbott.

Patrick
on March 9, 2016, 20:14 GMT

Some humble pie on the menu for the many who trashed Australia's T20 WC hopes after match 1. These are just warm ups but Aust are well in front of the highly rated SAfa's and shaping up balanced team from their talented squad of mercenaries. With 4 high quality allrounders (Watson, Marsh, Faulkner & Maxxy) Aust can go deep, there's certainly no risk in a specialist keeper.

Phil
on March 9, 2016, 20:11 GMT

Particularly good to see smith come good this game, as I said last time, I know he can play the shortest format, but he looked just awful first 2 games, now at least looks like he deserves to be there. Watson and Khawaja should be the opening batsman for the world cup as unlike game 2 they looked solid against a quality pace attack with Khawaja looking very good in combination with Watto. Amla was pure class today. All onwards to the WC

Patrick
on March 9, 2016, 20:09 GMT

Bloomin' Aussies, you know how to come into form at the right time don't you! Fair play though, I've always thought you were a better t20 side than you sometimes show, there are some serious hitters in that line up.

Rajesh Jajoo
on March 9, 2016, 20:05 GMT

So basically chasing team won all the games

Channan
on March 9, 2016, 20:05 GMT

SA believes it can score over 150 without ABD. He should be allowed to stay at home for the world cup. Please read the three or four of my previous blogs. I am going to state the obvious one last time. Open with Amla and DK, DuP at 3 and ABD at 4. If, as has been stated ABD can only open the bat in this format, then let him stay home.

Allan
on March 9, 2016, 20:04 GMT

Great win by the boys, solid team effort and i think we have found the right batting combination in this match. Out of all the opening partnerships of Khawaja Finch, Finch Watson and Khawaja Watson the one today of Watson and Khawaja looked the best with the right and left hand complimenting each other very well perhaps due to the fact they both play for Sydney thunder in the same roles. I hope we can fix on a Watson, Khawaja, Smith, Warner, Maxwell Marsh top 6 for the first game against NZ, suddenly the Aussies are looking solid when the pressure is on and boof and smith will lead us deep into the tournament.

Miyoshi
on March 9, 2016, 20:02 GMT

Riley rosouw one day innings of 16 off 21 balls was the turning point òf the match. Momentum was lost during that middle period.
Miller or Wiese should have been promoted ahead òf him.

Billy OReilly
on March 9, 2016, 20:01 GMT

Hi all. I was unable to watch today's game. Broader query. Does anyone agree with me? I do not understand the rationale for JP Duminy's inclusion in the T20 or one day team any more. To my mind, he has not fulfilled his undoubted potential and is not delivering the runs required to keep his place. Am I mistaken? what are your thoughts pls?

Hauke
on March 9, 2016, 20:01 GMT

Mitch Marsh in the last two games has not been dismissed, averaged a strike rate of 300, and hit the winning runs in both games. He faced two balls.

Jacques
on March 9, 2016, 19:52 GMT

SA should have scored 200 here. They simply wasted too many balls, especially against the spinner, Zampa. In what was a crucial win for SA (not for the series but for confidence build up ahead of wT20, you cannot leave out AB. Had AB come in where Rilee came in, 200 was on the cards. I can't really comment on the bowling, probably not as good as it should have been, but the game was lost with the bat. Man of the Match: Zampa since his bowling made that 20 run difference.

Android
on March 9, 2016, 19:35 GMT

RSA will not reach semis in wt20 .. with such awefull bowling u can't even do any wonders in sub continent pitches .. there batting strength also questionable now .. tahir will put 10 loose delavaries out of 24 .. if RSA reaches semis/finals .. that's miracle ...

sam
on March 9, 2016, 19:35 GMT

SA winning in India with Indian bowling not yet decided followed India winning in Australia with Australia with Australian bowling not yet decided followed by Australia winning in SA with SA batting order as well Aus batting order not yet decided. I do not know what to make out of all that except this all 3 teams have good chance of winning with India slightly more as they are hosts and SA slightly less as they often lose in WC semi-finals. Apart from that watch out for England and WI. And if Pakistan can magically sort their batting watch out for them too. SL too weak and NZ and BD are probably not strong enough to have any chance of winning the title. NZ might make semis but not more than that.

Abdulrehman
on March 9, 2016, 19:34 GMT

Well played Australia. The batting line up is really strong. With Starc, this team would be pretty hard to beat. Good luck to them for WT20.

Mike
on March 9, 2016, 19:33 GMT

2-1 ..... Totally outclassed here and any excuses just don't wash.....They are going to have to be far mentally tougher and hone their application if they want to compete with one of the best sides in the business ! Congrats Oz & good onya champs Smudge, Watto, Dave, Uzzy, & Maxi ! Bring on the T20 Wc.....good luck Oz !

Avijit Maity
on March 9, 2016, 19:29 GMT

In India South Africa or Australia should play with 2 spinners. Only spinners can down the run rates in middle overs.

Rashed Syed
on March 9, 2016, 19:28 GMT

that inngs from RRussowe was a real shame..had this been 200 + score like the 2nd match, SA would have won..RR + Faf combined score..20 runs in 28 balls..had it been 40, result wud'v been dffrnt..!!!see how warner, smith played ..risks were to be taken by RR..wasted 2 many balls man..pathetic.

Altaf
on March 9, 2016, 19:24 GMT

AB rested, Faf decided to bat despite being successful chaser in recent time, Duminy and Weisse continue in team despite extremely poor form. Looks like SA wants to win only on paper with their mighty theories.

Rashed Syed
on March 9, 2016, 19:24 GMT

No idea why JP duminy is in the team if he's not fully fit. behardien or morris would have been ideal..the SA are in deep selection trouble due to some guys fitness issues..

JOHN
on March 9, 2016, 19:21 GMT

So Imran Tahir,Lahorei Pakistani Yappi, got smashed and was jumping like a camel today inspite of being gifted wickets. No other actual SA player came to the party, so can we say Australia have won convincingly OUTSIDE now on turning strips and are now T20 experts, no not really inspite of toying with the SA team favourites for WC. Quote just too good and win this series, it's a fluke isn't it Hosts.

Altaf
on March 9, 2016, 19:16 GMT

Despite the fact that SA was recently successful in chasing, Faf wrongly decided to defend. He also proved wrong in team selection by including continously failing Duminy and Weisse.

Mike
on March 9, 2016, 19:07 GMT

Wow ! Early morning I've got some great news eh....Oz has thrashed the Saffers ! Well done boys.....bring on the world T20......go Oz !

Dwain
on March 9, 2016, 18:54 GMT

all 3 games won by teams batting 2nd. Oz bowling doesn't inspire confidence to defend a total as well. India look odds on favourite to win the T20 WC. All their bases are covered.Can't see SA winning because we don't seem capable of restricting the run flow especially with Morris and Wiese and a horribly out of form Duminy.

Adinic
on March 9, 2016, 18:36 GMT

Smith seems to be trying to slog his way out of this bad run of form.

grant
on March 9, 2016, 18:28 GMT

Amla showing his class and his critics should keep quiet now.

grant
on March 9, 2016, 18:28 GMT

Amla showing his class and his critics should keep quiet now.

Sampath Bananda Shambu
on March 9, 2016, 18:26 GMT

Couple of changes... this indicates that these teams aren't yet ready with the Playing XI for the T20 WC....

Anupam
on March 9, 2016, 18:24 GMT

SA is looking good for the world cup unless keep on making the mistakes they have been in selecting their teams. Amla has to open with DeKock owing to his ability to stay of long at the crease, get runs at 125+ (he is doing better now) as well abiity to play spin. Amla at top will contribute more than any of Rossouw, Duminy, Behardien so he is an obvious choice, That also frees up AB for no. 4 which will be very critical for SA. If Miller can continue his good form at 5 and Duminy can contribute at 6, SA will be the team to beat. Steyn has already shown he needs to be in the team, Rabada and Tahir pick themselves, while Wiese has been good too. It has to be one of Abbott or Morris and in Indian pitches Morris with his much better batting skills should be a shoo in as bowling wise both might contribute on similar lines. Hope SA sort out their selection and batting order and they should be the team to watch.

Dehron
on March 9, 2016, 17:52 GMT

nah, amla shouldn't be in the side, he scores too slow, he's not a t20 batsman. lol, his record speaks for itself, he is in fact a decent t20 player.

Dayne
on March 9, 2016, 17:41 GMT

Doubt this total will be enough. Will take a special bowling display to defend this

Raghavendra Nayak
on March 9, 2016, 17:38 GMT

Cricket might be only game where WC is running n simultaneously separate series is also underway

Dipanjan
on March 9, 2016, 17:35 GMT

It must be really satisfying and pleasing for the Proteas to see Amla back in runs. Been a long time for him without runs under his belt.

Dipanjan
on March 9, 2016, 17:35 GMT

It must be really satisfying and pleasing for the Proteas to see Amla back in runs. Been a long time for him without runs under his belt.

M Pakos Sam
on March 9, 2016, 17:32 GMT

Amla like always classic

Steven
on March 9, 2016, 17:28 GMT

This should stop all the nonsense talk of Amla not being a T20 player. Brilliant innings

Abdul
on March 9, 2016, 17:26 GMT

good decision to include Amla he shud be there in the playing xi in wt20

Gazi
on March 9, 2016, 17:26 GMT

That's the 2nd highest T20I total on this ground.Australia need almost 9 an over from the beginning.You feel someone from the top 3 has to play a blinder from Australia or this would become a very difficult chase.

Bobby Shaeed
on March 9, 2016, 17:25 GMT

Hashim amla is in different class. I don't think anyone is better then him right now . not even virat kholi . hashi the great

Jose
on March 9, 2016, 17:18 GMT

Hope Rob Steen (See the article refereed to in the side panel) is NOT writing report on this match. According to him, the 2 runs MM took at the end was as important as the hard yards put in by Warner & Maxwell, in making those bucketful of runs at a fast clip. Being a fellow professor myself, like Rob Steen, I am a bit scared of what I do think and do write!

{}:-)

Gazi
on March 9, 2016, 17:17 GMT

Highest total in T20's in this ground is England's 188 against Zimbabwe and highest total that has been successfully chased is SA's 165 by WI when Gayle played a blinder.170+ will be a very competitive total for SA to defend.

Sathyan Krishna
on March 9, 2016, 17:07 GMT

well nobody bothers about this t20. that's some good news for test cricket

Mudassir Hassan Deobandi
on March 9, 2016, 16:49 GMT

Hash U beauty. who says T20 Is all about swinging bat blindly. Class is unmatched

Safa04
on March 9, 2016, 16:41 GMT

amla is such a class player...

Bazza
on March 9, 2016, 16:17 GMT

How can Amla continue to be left out and Duminy get selected every time?Amla has already scored more than JPD in 2 overs and at double the strike rate!

Ram
on March 9, 2016, 16:09 GMT

Having to unidimensional players such as Amla, ABD, Faf, Miller, Smith, Finch, Khawaja might be a liability at the WT20.

No featured comments at the moment.

Ram
on March 9, 2016, 16:09 GMT

Having to unidimensional players such as Amla, ABD, Faf, Miller, Smith, Finch, Khawaja might be a liability at the WT20.

Bazza
on March 9, 2016, 16:17 GMT

How can Amla continue to be left out and Duminy get selected every time?Amla has already scored more than JPD in 2 overs and at double the strike rate!

Safa04
on March 9, 2016, 16:41 GMT

amla is such a class player...

Mudassir Hassan Deobandi
on March 9, 2016, 16:49 GMT

Hash U beauty. who says T20 Is all about swinging bat blindly. Class is unmatched

Sathyan Krishna
on March 9, 2016, 17:07 GMT

well nobody bothers about this t20. that's some good news for test cricket

Gazi
on March 9, 2016, 17:17 GMT

Highest total in T20's in this ground is England's 188 against Zimbabwe and highest total that has been successfully chased is SA's 165 by WI when Gayle played a blinder.170+ will be a very competitive total for SA to defend.

Jose
on March 9, 2016, 17:18 GMT

Hope Rob Steen (See the article refereed to in the side panel) is NOT writing report on this match. According to him, the 2 runs MM took at the end was as important as the hard yards put in by Warner & Maxwell, in making those bucketful of runs at a fast clip. Being a fellow professor myself, like Rob Steen, I am a bit scared of what I do think and do write!

{}:-)

Bobby Shaeed
on March 9, 2016, 17:25 GMT

Hashim amla is in different class. I don't think anyone is better then him right now . not even virat kholi . hashi the great

Gazi
on March 9, 2016, 17:26 GMT

That's the 2nd highest T20I total on this ground.Australia need almost 9 an over from the beginning.You feel someone from the top 3 has to play a blinder from Australia or this would become a very difficult chase.

Abdul
on March 9, 2016, 17:26 GMT

good decision to include Amla he shud be there in the playing xi in wt20

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